Remembering that diets don't work unless you change your lifestyle, Hopefully this website will help you to learn how to maintain a healthy weight, and eat so that you will be healthier.

And if you are already healthy and stay the same weight, give or take a few pounds, Then keep doing what your doing. You have learned to listen to your body, know what it needs and you care about yourself. That is wonderful.

The goal is to increase your caloric expenditure through daily exercise, and moderately reduce your food intake to achieve a 3,500-calorie deficit per week. You don't want to cut your caloric intake drastically because you will risk the loss of body muscle rather than fat.

If you need more than 1,200 calories a day, pick extra selections from the vegetable, fruit and bread/starch groups, rather than the higher fat groups. However your body needs nutrients from "all" food groups, even when you are trying to lose weight. Consult with your health-care provider if you have any doubts about the safe number of calories to eat for your weight-reduction plan.

After you have achieved your weight loss, Modify your new eating plan by increasing the number of servings per food group to equal your maintenance caloric needs. Notice that your calorie increase should mainly occur in the lower-fats food groups.

Listed below are nutrient-dense , low-fat food choices for the 6 food groups. You may substitute other foods if they contain approximately the same number of calories and nutrients. Beware of substituting processed and fast foods. They may not be as nutritious and may contain hidden dietary fat and sodium.

Breads, Cereals, Grains and Starchy Vegetables

Bread Group

BREAD

Bagel ½ bagel
Bread Sticks (4 in.) 2 Sticks
English Muffin ½ muffin
Pita Bread ½ large pocket
white enriched bread 1 slice
whole wheat bread 1 slice
other whole grain breads 1 slice
rye, pumpernickel, etc. whole grain category (1 slice)

Cereal

Bran Flakes ¾ cup
Bran granule type cereals 1/3 cup
Cheerios 1 Cup
Corn Flakes ¾ Cup
Cream of Rice ½ cup cooked
Cream of Wheat ½ cup cooked
Grapenut Flakes ¾ Cup
Grapenuts 3 Tbsp.
Nutri Grain Cereals ½ Cup
Oatmeal ½ cup cooked
Product 19 ½ Cup
puffed cereals 1 ½ cups
raisin bran ½ Cup
Ralston ½ cup cooked
Shredded Wheat 1 Biscuit
Special K 1 Cup
Total 3/4 Cup
wheat germ 3 Tbsp.
Wheatena ½ cup cooked
Wheaties ¾ Cup
Whole Wheat hot Natural Cereal ½ cup cooked

Crackers

Graham 2 crackers
melba toast 5 slices
Ry Krisp ½ large square
rye, whole grain 3 crackers
Triscuit 3 crackers
Wheat Thins 8 crackers
Wheatsworth Stone Ground 5 crackers

Grains and Pasta

bulgur ½ cup cooked
Grits ½ cup cooked
Macaroni ½ cup cooked
Rice, enriched, long grain ½ cup cooked
Spaghetti ½ cup cooked

Miscellaneous

popcorn, air-popped 3 cups
rice or corn cakes 2 cakes
Tortilla, flour or corn 1 small tortilla

Starchy Vegetables

beans, baked, vegetarian ½ cup (115 calories)
beans, black ½ cup cooked
beans, kidney ½ cup cooked (106 calories)
beans, lima ½ cup (107 calories)
beans, navy ½ cup cooked (130 calories)
beans, refried, fat-free ½ cup (110 calories)
corn, canned or fresh ½ cup cooked
lentils ½ cup cooked (115 calories)
peas, green ½ cup cooked
potato, baked 1 small
potato, mashed ½ cup (111 calories)
potato, sweet, baked 1 small (118 calories)
squash, baked 3/4 cup

Fats

almonds, dry roasted 6 whole
cashews, dry roasted 6 medium nuts
margarine, diet 1 Tbsp.
margarine, regular 1 tsp.
mayonnaise, reduced calorie 1 Tbsp.
mayonnaise, regular 1 tsp.
oil, vegetable or olive 1 tsp.
olives 5 large
peanuts 10
pecans, whole 2 medium
salad dressings 2 tsp.
sunflower seeds 1 Tbsp.
walnuts, whole 2 medium

*Fruits*

Keep in mind that fruits are the body cleansers. And so good for us.

apple 1 small
applesauce, unsweetened ½ cup
apricots 3 medium
banana ½ medium
blackberries 3/4 cup
cantaloupe, pieces 1 cup
casaba melon, pieces 1 cup
cherries 10 cherries
cranberries, whole 1 cup
dates, whole dried 2-3 dates
figs, dried 1 fig
fruit cocktail, in juice ½ cup
grapefruit ½ of a medium fruit
grapes 15 small grapes
guava 1 medium
honeydew melon, pieces ½ cup
kiwifruit 1 large
mandarin oranges, in juice ½ cup
nectarine 1 medium
orange, navel 1 medium
peach 1 large
pear ½ medium
pineapple, in juice ½ cup
pineapple, pieces 1 cup
plum 1 large
prunes, dried 2 prunes
raisins 2 Tbsp.
strawberries 1 cup
tangerine 1 large
watermelon, pieces 1 cup
fruit juices ½ cup

Meat (lean), Fish & Poultry

BEEF

Beef Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g)
chipped beef, dried 47 1 .5
eye of round, lean 52 2 1
ground beef, extra lean 76 5 2
round, tip, lean 54 2 1
sirloin, lean 59 3 1
T-bone, lean (no fat) 61 3 1

Egg

EGGS Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g)
whites, 2 (equals 1 egg) 32 0 0
Whole, 1 egg 79 6 2

Fish & Seafood

Fish & Seafood Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g)
bass 72 5 .5
clams, steamed (4-5 small) 63 2 .2
cod, baked (1½ oz.) 35 .3 0
crab, steamed (1½ oz.) 41 .7 0
flounder, baked 58 2 0
grouper, baked (1½ oz.) 50 .6 .2
haddock, baked (1½ oz.) 48 .4 0
halibut, baked (1½ oz.) 60 1 .2
lobster, steamed (1½ oz.) 42 .3 0
mackerel, baked 74 5 1
mussels, steamed 49 1 2
oysters, steamed (6 medium) 56 2 1
perch, baked (1½ oz.) 50 .5 .1
salmon, baked (1½ oz.) 42 5 1
salmon, smoked (1½ oz.) 50 2 .4
scallops, steamed (3 large) 38 .3 0
shrimp, steamed (7-8 large) 42 .5 .1
sole, baked 58 2 0
trout, baked 43 1 .2
tuna, white, canned in water 39 1 .2

Lamb

Lamb Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g)
Leg of lamb, lean 53 2 1
loin chop, lean, (½ chop) 46 2 1

Pork

Pork Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g)
center loin, lean 78 4 1
ham, cured, lean 41 2 .5
tenderloin, lean 47 1 .5

Poultry

Poultry Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fit (g)
Chicken Breast, skinless, (¼ breast) 71 2 1
Chicken Drumstick, skinless, (1 drumstick) 76 3 1
Chicken light meat, skinless 49 2 .4
turkey, dark meat, skinless 53 2 1
turkey, ground 61 4 1
turkey, light meat skinless 45 1 .3

Veal

Veal Calories Fat (g) Sat. Fat (g)
loin, lean 66 4 2
rib roast 76 5 2

Milk or Milk Products (Low-Fat)

Milk

buttermilk, cultured 8 oz.
evaporated, skim 4 oz.
hot cocoa, sweetened with aspartame 6 oz.
milk, 1% fat 8 oz.
milk, 2% fat 8 oz.
milk, skim 8 oz.

Yogurt

plain, low-fat 8 oz.
plain, made from skim 8 oz.

Cheese

cheese, cottage, (low-fat) 1% fat ¾ Cup
cheese, hard (most types) 1 oz.
cheese, mozzarella, (part skim) 1 oz.
cheese, ricotta, (part skim) ½ Cup

Vegetables

I am not going to do a chart for vegetables. I suggest you eat all the raw vegetables you want to. As for canned and cooked vegetables, The food value can be lost by canning and cooking. However, Steaming them for a couple minutes is best if you want them hot.

But for those of you who can get organic veggies, Eat them to your hearts content. Remember Vegetables are the body builders.

I suggest you print this page. The serving sizes from all the different food groups should help you to learn, Then when your weight is where it should be, You will just know what is to much by looking at it.

I wish you the best of luck and hope this helps you some. Even those of you who are in shape can benefit from the food choices above.

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